1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection device that is an IC socket on which ICs (integrated circuits) and the like are mounted, for example, and more particularly to a spiral contactor for making contact with the external connectors such as ICs and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor inspecting device disclosed in patent document 1 is a device for temporarily bringing a semiconductor device into electrical contact with external circuit boards and the like. A plurality of spherical contactors arranged in the form of a lattice or a matrix is provided on the backside of the semiconductor device, a plurality of concaves is provided on the insulation substrate opposite the plurality of spherical contactors, and a plurality of spiral contactors is oppositely arranged in the plurality of concaves.
When the back side of the semiconductor device is pressed toward the insulation substrate, since the spiral contactors make contact with an outside surface of the spherical contactors in such a manner that the spiral contactors are spirally wound, electrical contact between the respective spherical contactors and the respective spiral contactors is reliably accomplished.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-175859
In a connection device disclosed in the patent document 1, when the spherical contactors press against the spiral contactors, the spiral contactors are pressed down into the concaves, and tensile stress along the tangential direction of the spiral contactors is applied to starting ends (ends of the substrate) of the windings of the spiral contactors.
However, since the winding directions of the spiral contactors are in the same direction, the tensile stress being applied to the starting end of each of the spiral contactors is forcefully applied to the substrate in the same direction.
Therefore, there is a fear that the contact state may be unstable due to distortion generated in the insulation substrate.
In consideration of the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection device for stabilizing contact between the external connectors (spherical contactors) of electrical parts and spiral contactors.
In order to achieve the above object, a connection device comprises a substrate and a plurality of spiral contactors formed in a spiral shape on the substrate, a plurality of external connectors of electronic parts making contact with the plurality of spiral contactors, respectively, wherein the directions of tensile stresses applied to the starting ends of the windings of the spiral contactors are arranged to be opposite to each other between adjacent spiral contactors.
According to the above configuration of the present invention, since tensile stresses generated in the starting ends of the windings of the spiral contactors can cancel each other out between adjacent spiral contactors, the electrical connection between the external connectors and the spiral contactors can be stabilized.
However, although tensile stresses may cancel each other out between adjacent spiral contactors, tensile stresses may also cancel each other out in one block unit, for example, for each column of spiral contactors, each row of spiral contactors, or each of spiral contactors arranged in the form of a square.
As a preferred configuration of the spiral contactors, for example, the spiral directions of adjacent spiral contactors are opposite to each other, or the spiral directions of adjacent spiral contactors are the same, and the positions of the starting ends of the windings of the spiral contactors deviate from each other by 180xc2x0.
In the above configuration, preferably, the concaves are formed in the substrate, the starting ends of the windings of the spiral contactors are provided at the edge portions of the concaves, and the terminal ends of the windings of the spiral contactors are provided at the centers of the concaves.
In the above configuration, since the spiral contactors can vary in the concaves, connection between the spiral contactors and the external connectors can be reliably accomplished.
In addition, preferably, the concaves are arranged in the form of a matrix. This allows tensile stresses to be canceled more reliably.
In addition, preferably, the concaves are through-holes, the inner walls of which are provided with conductors, each being conductive with each of the spiral contactors.
In addition, preferably, the tip of each of the external connectors is in the form of a sphere. This allows the connection between the external connectors and the spiral contactors to be accomplished reliably.